Keeper of Hearts
by Stories of Insomnia
Summary: A Collection of Drabbles from KH and KHII. I've included all my old drabbles, plus some new ones. M for safety. "You show me how to see that nothing is whole and nothing is broken."
1. Home

Sora missed the sand. It seemed so far away. He missed the ocean, and the sun, and the trees. Life seemed like one long struggle, a battle to fight-to-win-to-smileaboutlater. But later never comes. There was always more people who needed help. Who needed a hero. Sora loved to help them, that's just who he was. But he needed the sand.

How many more enemies must he cut down? How many more memories must cease to be? He fought for many things, for many people, all of whom missed something.

He missed home. 


	2. Because I said So

How often had he done this? Demyx sighed, his water sitar falling to the floor. Despite his inability to feel emotions, he usually kept a cheerful, goofy mask on. But when he was alone, the fa ade shattered into a thousand pieces which he would have to reconstruct whenever someone came near. Each time, however, there was a little bit missing. He couldn't stop the creeping emptiness that filled him.

"Demyx you're acting different." Demyx turned his head slightly to see Zexion, the Cloaked Schemer. "Zexion, what do you feel?" Demyx whispered, a hand placed over where his heart should be. Zexion remained impassive, but he was quietly calculating the outcome of this. "Nothing, of course." He finally replied. "Of course " Echoed Demyx.

Zexion shifted, expressing outwardly his discomfort. He slowly moved towards Demyx and draped his arms around the taller Nobody. Demyx flinched. "Zexion " Zexion shrugged. "Isn't this what people do to comfort one another?" Zexion's arms were warm against Demyx's skin and suddenly, that emptiness

It didn't seem so scary. 


	3. Darkness is Blinding

Was this oblivion?

Was he floating? Or... was he standing? He shook his head, how odd! What was his own name again?

A new boy appeared in the dead of night, he stood fearlessly in front of them all, proving he was a high-class Nobody. He introduced himself (what was his name again?) and promptly left with... Xemnas? Yes, that's right.

"Hey! Kid! My name's Axel, A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?"

Axel. So that's who he was. "My name... is Axel." His voice left without his permission, but was swiftly silenced by the crushing darkness. Suddenly, Axel's feet hit a solid surface, though no light shined.

"No one would miss me..." The boy slipped into the night, as quietly as he had came. "That's not true! I would..." whispered Axel.

How long had he been here? Days, weeks, months, years? Did it matter? Axel startled as something warm brushed against his hand.

"What is our Superior's name, Axel?"

"Xemnas..." Croaked Axel in return. In his mind, he could see an angelic face.  
>Blond hair...<br>Blue eyes...  
>"Roxas!"<p>

"There ya go, Axel." Roxas's voice replied gently. "Roxas! Where are you?" A laugh reverberated. "In your heart!" Axel shifted uneasily. This wasn't making much sense. "So... where am I?"

"In my heart." 


	4. Fleeting Memories

Riku remembered the anger and betrayal he had felt as he watched Sora laugh and talk with a duck and dog. He remembered the heartbreak he had felt when Sora all but pronounced Kairi his most valuable friend. The Keeper of his Heart. Riku tore apart worlds looking for Kairi, so he would get to her first. After all, his he couldn't have Sora, why should Sora have Kairi?

Riku remembered when Ansem controlled him, cause his heart to fall into everlasting darkness. Occasionally, he could peek through Ansem's eyes to catch a glimpse of Sora.

A small drip of sweat on Sora's brow as he raced towards Ansem (me?)...  
>A graceful dodge to roll out of harm's way...<br>Sora gliding towards Ansem (he could fly?) to deliver the final blow.

"We'll do this together, Sora!"

Riku remembered...  
>Riku remembered...<p>

Nothing. 


	5. I Love You Anyway

It was SUPPOSED to be a simple trip to the castle.

But, of course, Axel's attention was everywhere BUT the road which they were currently walking down. "Hey! Look! It's Old Scrooge's Ice Cream stand! LET'S BOMB IT!" Axel crackled, flames already shooting up in his palms. "Let's not." Roxas deadpanned, successfully dousing the sparkles of fire. "Why?" Whined Axel in return. "Because, they have Sea Salt ice cream and I want a Pepto."

Axel snickered. "You a wuss or som'thing?" Roxas turned his head and gave Axel the evil eye. "No, I'd rather not be stuck in the back of a police car with an upset stomach."

"And what's you think we'll be caught?" Axel challenged, his green eyes sparking. Roxas couldn't refuse the bait, and bit back a smile.

"Because you're clumsy."

"Wh WHAT?"

Roxas turned to face him and flashed Axel a disinterested smile. "But I love you anyway." 


	6. Letting Go

Axel felt something leave when he opened the door to the World That Never Was for Sora. A great burden had been lifted (maybe that's my spirit leaving, he thought) and he was finally free (from what, again?) The darkness crept up his torso to swallow his body (but not my soul).

He reached out unconsciously for Roxas, who lay, dormant, inside the other boy. Riku talked of him often. (...Sora?) But what did Riku say about him? (Who's Riku?)

His mind was going blank, and everything seemed so hazy, but he would never let Roxas go. He forced himself to remember everything he could about the Nobody (all those memories...) The connection wavered, as if hit by a large force trying to sever it.

Axel had reached out...

And Roxas denied him. 


	7. Pity

"Boy, if you do this, you might never be able to change back." Riku's ocean-like eyes bored into Diz. The man peered back through his heavy red bandages. "Fine. Release the darkness, boy. Do not look back." With that, he tossed some black cloth to the ground and was gone.

Riku took a deep breath... then began to unlock the darkness. He felt it stir inside of him, as if getting its bearings, then, quite suddenly, it launched an attack on Riku's weakened heart. With a lurch, Riku fell to his knees and huffed in pain. His eyes, half open, snapped to attention when he saw his hands.

His fingers had become elongated and slender. Before his stunned eyes the pigment of his skin began to change. A sharp cramping in his feet told his it was definitely time to take his shoes off. He fumbled as he did so, however, because of his disproportionate fingers.

Finally, he managed to tear his shoes off. Riku shook his head as he felt a bizarre sensation on his scalp. When he ran his fingers through his hair, he discovered that it was long and shockingly white. Faintly disturbed by this, he took a step backwards, nearly losing his balance. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blinding pain unlike anything he had ever felt before raked his body. He fell to his knees and coughed violently, spraying the ground with blood. His entire being felt like his skin was being peeled off.

Riku lost track of how many seconds, minutes, hours he had been in his agony. Barely whimpering (he refused to vocalize his torment and give pleasure to whatever sick entity that was watching this), he attempted to stand. His legs shook, then gave out from underneath him.

"Hey, Riku! Need a hand?" inquired a cheery voice. Riku's hazy golden eyes wandered to the source of the sound. Sora stood before him, a hand stretched out to help Riku closed his eye, hoping that Sora was a figment of his tormented mind and would go away. He couldn't stand the thought of Sora seeing him like this. It must be a dream. Though his pride hated the thought, Riku almost wished it wasn't. Sora would make tre pain go away. He always did.

Sora huffed, but, undeterred, reached out and grabbed Riku's hand. "Come-on-Ri-ku!" said the boy as he struggled to pull Riku up. Riku glanced at Sora to see the infamous pouting face. Sora, however, dropped his pout and gazed sadly at Riku, Riku's limp hand in his own. "...It's time, Riku." Riku grunted, still struggling with his pain. "Time for what?"

"Time to wake up."

But it wasn't Sora he saw. 


	8. Rememberance

Twilight Town shimmered and swayed in the basking glory of the setting sun. The buildings became the same glorious red-orange, and the water reflection the beauty of the sky. Roxas watched this amazing town, famed for it breathtaking sunsets, sink into peaceful darkness. Memories of his faux childhood ran rampant. His first job, the first time he met his friends, his parents all this he had taken for granted.

He could never have them back.

Roxas became overcome with his feel of emptiness. A deep void seemed to take the place of his stomach, and he felt bile rise in the back of his throat. Breath was hard to come by, it seemed. All over the town, lights were being turned off, mothers were finishing their lullabies, and fathers ended their stories. A blanket of quietness fell over the town.

Roxas's body shook badly, and his breath came out in short, pitiful bursts. He could not control the sweeping feelings that were destroying him, and he had no one to help him.

Hayner Pence Olette

He could never have them back. 


	9. Watching the Clouds

Leon's eye gave an irritable twitch.

However, all the eye twitch in the world could not change the fact that Sora was standing in his doorway, holding an unconscious Cloud. Sora smiled timidly, muttering a quick 'sorry'. The younger brunette slipped into the door and made for the bedroom, his small frame barely able to support the blond's weight.

Leon wanted nothing more then to push Sora back out the door, but as cold as he was, he could not muster the strength to be cruel. Sighing angrily, he followed Sora into his bedroom and began to inspect Cloud's wounds.

It seemed like every other day Sora would pop up with Cloud slung over his shoulders. Over the course of nursing Cloud back to health, Leon had become familiar with the blond.

Cloud Strife ( I "How ironic," /i thought Leon) was training continuously to beat Sephiroth, the one-winged angel. No matter how hard he trained, Cloud could not win. Sora and Leon were in the background to pick up the pieces. Currently, the ironically named male was laid out on the bed as Leon bandaged his chest. Cloud's breathing, once rapid and spasmodic, was finally beginning to even, much to Leon's relief. He didn't need to be up all night to check on Cloud. Leon settled himself into a chair next to the bed and drifted reluctantly into sleep.

When Leon awoke, Cloud was no where to be seen. Swearing loudly out of frustration, Leon rushed to the living room (knocking over a VERY expensive defense ring on the way). Sure enough, his guess was right as there Cloud was, leaning awkwardly against the wall for support.

" You stole my boots." Leon accused. Cloud shifted his weight with a small hiss. "I needed boots." Cloud then turned and stumbled out in his tattered clothes and too big boots.

"Hey! Cloud!" Cloud turned his head ever-so-slightly to aknowledge Leon. "You can come back anytime." Cloud looks Leon dead in the eye, swaying uneasily. "I might have to take you up on that " Having expressed his thought, Cloud promptly crashed to the ground.

"Dear God " Moaned Leon as he gently picked the blond up to carry him back to bed. "Might as well.." 


End file.
